Warriors, Whispers in the Dark: Rising Chaos
by Cuizard the Bump-nose Dragon
Summary: A story that takes place many eons after the Last Hope. The five Clans, ThunderClan, SkyClan, WindClan, RiverClan, and ShadowClan have been renamed due to them being driven out by the evil anti-clan TunnelClan. Their new names are BlazeClan, StoneClan, LunarClan, FrostClan, and SwiftClan, respectivly. Please review this! I hope to post when I finish a chapter; it won't be uniformal
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer:**_ _I do not own StarClan or the Dark Forest . Every cat was donated by generous pla y ers. The creation of both clans is fr o m Erin, and they get every credit for ma ki ng them. The Clan cats were donate olfgrowl. I give every right to the nam e s that he helped me with. Each chap te r I will post an allegiance of the Cla n tha t is being told in its Point Of Vi ew; it will be posted on my profile. The origi nal five clans are also owned by Erin, b ut I have chosen new names for t hem. All of Erin's cats are dead and ha v e faded from StarClan man eons ago. Th is first " chapter" is a two in one chap te r because there is no Prologue option fo r, I wish there was though._

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**Prologue**

Pale green eyes peered through the giant yew tree. They swept over the land, sca nning the terrain below. The moonlit fo r est glowed in the fullness of life. D e ci duous trees dotted the clearing to th e n orthwest. A sudden cliff dropped int o a thoroughly protected space belo w . Br ambl es spanned over the edges o f t he dr y, fl at ground. The trees con t inu ed on and ar ound the strange clif f depr ession .

Onward, to the northeast, rocks gathered , largely stacked forming a mountainsid e . A waterfall roared, covering a larg e c hamber cutting through most of the m o unt ains in the land. The rocky land f lo wed over the north and was cut off by wi ld p rairie grass to the southeas t. The grass y moors extended from the b lar ing mounta in range to the north a nd the fro zen tun dra to the south. A l ar ge r ounde d surfac e depressed into a l arge crater like are a. Pine needles spr ead a round the cleari ng, forming vario us sha ped re gions withi n the gr assy c rater.

Down South and a little West of that is the beginning of the pine-filled tundra. Swampy-like grounds covered the land, w et from overflowed streams, creeks, and rivers. The damp ground covered most of the land. Laying a little father to the north and East is a large wooden bridge that wasn't cat-made. It stretched all t he way over the large salty lake, and co nnected itself to a relatively large isl and.

To the east of the frozen tundra is a le ss swampy pine forest. The land reeked o f bears, badgers, and wolves. Each lar ge carnivore was snacking away at small ma mmals and rodents, making them scarc e in that region of land. In the dea te r of the pine forest are burnt out t re es and rocks. The clearing was bor der e d by remaining fox, badger, and bea r du ng.

A pure, smoky gray she-cat sighed. Her p ale green eyes blinked as she finished h er routine scan of the five Clans belo w. Suddenly, a twig snapped behind her. Sh e whirled around to find a pair of b r igh t yellow-green eyes staring at he r . The fur on the back of her neck bri s tl ed as she waited for the cat to sho w its f ace.

"Hello," the yellow-eyed cat began. "Wha t are you doing here, Nightgaze?"

The she-cat perked her ears. Her breath halted for a brief moment. "You scared m e," she rasped. "I don't like it when o t her cats sneak up on me. You of all c a ts should know that."

"I'm sorry," the voice said in a soothin g tone as it moved into the light. A da r k ginger tom came into her view.

Nightgaze's eyes widened. Warmth filled her chest and fur. She pranced to the gi nger tom and pounced on him. The tom la u ghed and pretended to struggle to get aw ay. Eventually he squeezed out of he r pa w grips and sat before her.

"You never answered my question," the gi nger tom purred.

"I was just looking over the land," she replied. "It's beautiful, isn't it, Russ etfire?"

Russetfire grinned, his bright yellow ey es glimmering in the moonlight. "I was t hinking the same thing."

"I would look through the Lunar Tree and be blown away from all the reminiscent memories of what it took to arrive here, at our new home." She sighed.

"It was hard to get used to the fact tha t we had to leave."

Nightgaze nodded at Russetfire's comment . He was right. They had a lot of worri e s and infinite troubles. "There's no d ou bt about it. TunnelClan was a stron g Cla n."

"I never liked the fact that they drove us out of our old lake territory."

"But StarClan did bring us to this new l ake territory."

"Yes, you have a point," he sighed. "The anti-clan made us seem like we were hel pless kittypets."

"Yes, but you do remember when the proph ecy finally came saying what will have t o happen?"

"I would never forget that day." Russetf ire sighed. "Do you remember what it sa i d?"

"Of course," Nightgaze purred. "It's rea lly hard to forget. It said: 'The Blazi n g Heather shall come from Thunder and Wi nd. The Frosted Stone from a Shadow- f ill ed Sky and make four into eight, t he ir C lans will begin far from where t he other s lie'."

"I remember the omens that were sent."

Nightgaze laughed. "That was only becaus e we were stupid for not being able to f igure out who was going to lead each o f the clans."

"I remember the omen," Russetfire mewed. 

"Omens," Nightgaze corrected her mate. " Each Clan had their own omen, remember? "

"Oh, right!"

Nightgaze laughed at Russetfire's expens e.

"ShadowClan's was a hawk flying over. Ri verClan's was a feather landing on a pi l e of frost. Lightning flashed and cau g ht a small tree on fire on ThunderCla n 's t erritory. A strong stone on the m ou nt ain came lose in SkyClan. I don' t rea lly re member what happened to Win dC lan, bu t I think something disturbed a patc h of hea ther."

"Those were to show the warriors going, right?"

"Yep," Russetfire grunted. "Swiftwing ca me from ShadowClan, Stonetail came from SkyClan, Frostfeather came from RiverCl a n, Blazefur came from ThunderClan, an d H eatherstrike came from WindClan."

"Didn't Swiftwing become Swiftstar of Sw iftClan, Stonetail became Stonestar of S toneClan, Frostfeather become Froststa r of FrostClan, Blazefur become Blazest a r of BlazeClan, and Heatherstrike bec o me H eatherstar of LunarClan?"

"WindClan became LunarClan because they were the ones who found the island and t he sacred tree. StarClan commanded them to call the island Lunar Island and the sacred tree the Spirit Tree."

"Oh, yes, now I remember," Nightgaze pur red. "And there was peace ever since."

"Ah, yes." Russetfire sighed. "But I fea r that they will become stressed wit th is good. They haven't had any prob le m s so far, but I can't help but worry th a t one Clan leader will declare war on a nother just to have some action."

"Hey!" a voice called. Russetfire and Ni ghtgaze turned to the owner of the voic e . A tortoiseshell she-cat with green e ye s bolted through the undergrowth an d slo wed when she approached the two w a rr iors . She breathed heavily. They w ai ted for her to catch her breath. "C om e q uic k! Ro wanstep has called for a m eeti ng!"

Nightgaze tilted her head in confusion. "What? I didn't think that StarClan call ed Clan meetings."

"What is this meeting about, Embertalon? "

"I don't know, father," the tortoiseshel l she-cat rasped. "But I do know that i t 's something really big and important ! C ome on!"

Embertalon circled around and padded at a brisk pace with Russetfire and Nightga ze following a few tail-lengths away. F i ve cats stood in a circle around a si l ve r glinted pond.

A light cream-colored she-cat bristled. "What's this all about, Rowanstep?" She snapped.

A second she-cat, a darker cream-furred cat, stepped out among the vast circle o f StarClan cats. She gave a cold gaze a t the cream-colored she-cat. "Please, S a n dstar, don't be rude."

"I can be rude all I want, I'm dead and there's nothing you can do about it!" Th e darker cream she-cat blinked. The old leader's voice had never sounded like t h is. Well, she had been known to be cr a bb y, but not this crabby. Sandstar c o nt inu ed. "The only thing you cats c a n do is s end me to the Dark Forest! G o ri ght ahea d if you wish."

A dark brown tom stepped in between the two cats. "If you and Maplestar won't br eak this up, then I will."

Sandstar grunted. Maplestar gave a sigh of relief.

"Why have you called this meeting, Rowan step?" the tom asked.

The chocolate brown tom dipped his head. "I'm honored of your question, Bramblef oot. Cloverstream—" his tail pointed to a calico she-cat to his left, which sat in the circle of warriors around the si l ver pool. "Redstorm—" his tail flicke d o ver to a light ginger tom, which s ew tail-lengths from Cloverstream. " Dar k whisker—" Again, Rowanstep's tai l s w ept from Redstorm to a dark ginger t om, whic h sat a few tail-lengths awa owans t ep's right. "Silverwing—" He poin ted his tail behind him, to a blue- gra y an d sil ver she-cat. She sat betwee n Dar kwhisker and Redstorm. "—and I wer e her e , at our posts, when all of a sud den the puddle showed us an image of vio len ce."

Murmurs spread all around the large grou p of StarClan cats. A dark smoky gray-a n d-white she-cat stepped out from them . " This is insane!" she growled.

"What do you mean, Graywing?" Darkwhiske r asked.

"I mean," she flashed her icy-blue eyes in his direction, "All five clans have b een in peace for many eons. It's crazy t hat there would be violence now! It ma y have been because they're bored as we l l! I mean there really hasn't been an y s or t of thing that we had to look f o r wa besides more peace and many elder s ju s t dying of old age. You five may ha ve ju st caused this violence for us to wo rk!"

"That's not true!" Cloverstream argued.

"The prove it!" Graywing spat.

"It was a prophecy that will come true i n later time, but it's a big danger to a ll of the five clans. I'm sure!" Silve rw ing yowled.

"I still don't believe you five!" Graywi ng hissed and stalked away, weaving pas t warriors, kits, elders, and apprentic e s of all ages.

"That's fine," Redstorm mewed. "If any o ther cat doesn't believe us, then look i nto the pond yourself!"

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**Chapter 1**

"Let all cats old enough to climb the gr eat rocks of this mountain gather here a t the base of the Giant Rock Pile for a Clan meeting!" a pale gray she-cat yow le d as she leaped down from the ledg h e Leader's Hollow on top of the Gia nt R ock Pile.

Eaglepaw glanced at the gray she-cat, Sh alestar. Her eyes slid over to Lionpaw, a golden she-cat with tawny fur and amb e r eyes. She was grooming herself next to Thrushpaw and Badgerpaw. One, Thrush p aw , she suspected was falling in lov e w ith her. Both toms glanced at their l ead er and slowly made their way nort h we s he Giant Rock Pile; Lionpaw had d o also. All of the older warriors ma de t he ir way as well, from the eastern wa l l of the stone chambers. Eaglepaw fol lo wed, masking herself amongst the g ro up o f war riors.

Lionpaw took her place in the front. Spl ashflight, Lionpaw's diluted calico men t or was seated next to her. The deputy pu rred as her apprentice chose to sit n ext to her. It was an honor to sit nex t to the deputy or the leader for about al mos t anything. Eaglepaw assumed tha t it was because she was the daughter o f the pre vious leader, that she had tha t hig h of honor in her paws. There was n o que stion that she would be the best w a rrior the clan has ever known. She was m arvel ous w hen it came to fightin g, but mainl y know n for her swift paws on th e rocks and qu ick jaws to captur e b ats. Bats h ave been known to be the tou ghes t prey t o catch, even for the most skil led warri ors, but she had no prob lem.

Eaglepaw's gaze turned to the rest of th e crowd. There was Dewspot nuzzling his mate, Fernfoot. Her belly had a slight d rop, as if she was full of eating a fe w fully grown eagles or even hawks, alt h ou gh, it wasn't really common for on e c at to eat such sacred birds. Ever n ew that the only time the Clan wo ul d e a t l arge, plump birds, like eagl es, b uzz ards , or even the occasional v ult ure, w as af ter a grand ceremony.

Her gaze went farther back. Mousetail wa s the last to settle down among the cro w d of cats, since she had helped the c r ip pled elder, Redstripe, walk ove he Grand Rock Pile. There was no sig n of Li ghtpelt anywhere. She sighed. He r ey es l ay back upon Shalestar.

"I have a few announcements to make," th e leader mewed. "We have two ceremonies to conduct. The first is the apprentice ceremony and the second is our very own warrior naming ceremony."

Cloudkit and Heronkit stared wide-eyed a t their leader. They squirmed in their s eats and giggled. Smokepetal attempted t o calm them down, but it was no use.

"I would like to invite up Cloudkit and Heronkit," Shalestar yowled. The two kit s smiled and darted to the front of the crowd. They squeezed past between Lionp a w and Eaglepaw with excitement shown i n their every step. Both kits scampere d up the rock next to the leader. "By n a mi ng apprentices, we show that Stone C la n w il l survive and remain strong. " Sha lest ar turned to the two kits. Sh e look ed Cl oud kit in the eyes. "From th is mo ment o n, u ntil you have earne d y our wa rrior n ame, you will be know n as Cloudp aw."

The StoneClan leader dipped her head and her eyes glanced at Heronkit. "From thi s moment forward, until you have earned your warrior name, you will be known as Heronpaw." Again she dipped her head at the newly made apprentices. "These are n ewly made apprentices I have up here w it h me, but they won't be full apprent i ces until I appoint mentors for them, " s he mewed. "Would Pinestrike and Win d h awk pl ease join me?"

Pinestrike, a brown tom with darker mark ings, and Windhawk, a gray she-cat with white paws, padded up to the front. The i r powerful hind legs hurled them t to p of the Giant Rock Pile. They gaz ed a t the cats below with pride.

"Windhawk, you are now ready to take on an apprentice. You will mentor Cloudpaw. Windhawk, you have shown yourself to be a warrior of keen observation and great hunting strategies. I'm sure you will p ass on all you know to this apprentice. "

Windhawk dipped her head and nuzzled Clo udpaw on the nose and they stepped back , leaving one more apprentice.

"Pinestrike, you are also ready to take on an apprentice. You will mentor Heronp aw. Pinestrike, you have shown yourself to be a warrior of quick agility and ar e a strong fighter. I'm sure you wil on all you know to this apprentice ."

Pinestrike dipped his head and nuzzled H eronpaw on the nose and the two newly m a de apprentices and their new mentors w en t back down.

"Now, I would like to invite Splashfligh t and her apprentice, and Lightpelt and his apprentice up to the Giant Rock Pil e ."

Lionpaw padded up to the base of the roc k pile and cautiously making her way up the mound. She kept notice of what rock s were strong enough for her weight and w hich ones to avoid. She held her head hi gh as she padded next to her mentor a nd the leader. Eaglepaw padded after h er me ntor. She made the same moves as h e had.

"These two apprentices have been trainin g for many moons and now they believe t h at they deserve their warrior names." Sh e turned to the two senior warriors. "Sp lashflight, Lightpelt, are you two s atis fied with your apprentices? Do yo u belie ve that they are ready to becom e w arrior s?"

"Yes, she is ready," both cats mewed in unison. It was almost as if they planned their answers to be spoken at the same time. Lightpelt made a soft growl. No on e else could hear his low growl but Eag l epaw. She swallowed hard.

"I, Shalestar, leader of StoneClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down upon these two apprentices. They have tr ained hard to understand the ways of yo u r noble code, and I commend them t as a warrior in their turn." She cir cl ed around so that she could look both ap p r entices in the eyes. "Lionpaw, Ea gle p aw, do you promise to uphold the wa rr i or co de and defend this clan, even a t the cos t of your life?"

Lionpaw raised her head up high with eve n more pride. "I do," she announced in a loud voice.

Eaglepaw glanced at Lionpaw and then to her mentor. She quivered. Lionpaw return ed her gaze. She gulped. "I... I do," s h e stammered in a weak voice.

"Speak up! We can't hear you!" Redstripe yowled.

She swallowed once again. "I do," she sa id much more boldly this time.

"Then by the powers of StarClan I give y ou your warrior names. Lionpaw, from no w on, you will be known as Lionfligh Ea glepaw, from now on, you will be k no w n as Eagleheart. StoneClan welcomes yo u as full warriors."

"Lionflight! Eagleheart! Lionflight! Eag leheart!" the entire clan chanted.

Shalestar nuzzled Lionflight on the nose . Eagleheart cringed as she thought of h er former mentor. Her thoughts were br ok en when Lionflight nudged her should e r. She gazed up and remembered tha ha d to nuzzle her leader on the nose . Sh e f elt a sudden burst of warmth, a s if Star Clan had ridden her of her fea rs . S he sa t there filled with joy. Sh e h ad f inally made it. Again, Lionflig h t n udged her s houlder. She sighed and leap ed do wn from the pile and followe d the crowd of warr iors. She brushed pa st som e of t he warri ors and picked u p a plum p eagle from the fresh-kill pil e . Heathe rpaw pa dded up t o her with a grin on h er face.

"Hey, Eagleheart," she mewed. "Can I sha re that eagle with you?"

"Sure." Her mew was muffled by her mouth full of eagle feathers.

They padded back to the outside of the a pprentice's cave and sat down. Eaglehea r t set the giant bird down and Heather p aw dove into it as if there was no su c h th ing as tomorrow. Eagleheart laug h ed a nd dove herself into the bird as we ll .

"Congratulations on becoming a warrior!" Heatherpaw mewed as Lionflight passed t hem.

"Thanks," she said as she sat down a few tail-lengths behind them.

"And you too, Eagleheart," she said as h er attention turned back to the eagle.

"Thanks. I wondered when I would ever be come a warrior. Lightpelt was so hard t o please!"

"Speaking of the devil, there he is now. "

Splashflight and Lightpelt padded over t o them. Lightpelt gave a her stern shov e on the shoulder. "You were never cu t o be a warrior," he muttered. "I do n' t know how you did it, but you made i t. "

He brushed past the two she-cats. They g lanced at one another. "That was very r u de of him!" Heatherpaw spat.

"But, he's right," Eagleheart muttered u nderneath her breath.

"Lionflight, would you like to share a h awk with us?" they heard Splashfligh in what was supposed to be a hushed vo ice . Splashflight had a really hard t ime k eeping quiet. Most warriors suggest ed t hat she should just stick to tail mo vem ents if she wanted to speak quietly to a nyone. It was quite obvious that sh e did n't take their suggestions. Lionf l i ght a greed to her proposal and sto o d b ack up, following them with her pa rt iall y eaten hawk dangling from her j aws .

Heatherpaw took another bite from the ea gle. "I know how hard it must have been for you to be trained by him."

All Eagleheart could think to do was jus t nod slowly. The warmth that she had f e lt faded just as quickly as it had ar r iv ed. She sighed.

"Come on," Heatherpaw mewed. "Don't be l ike that."

"I know," she replied. "It's just that h e's right."

"Eagleheart, look at me," she commanded; Eagleheart looked at Heatherpaw. "I kno w that your training has been rough eve r since the start, but look, you'r rior now and that's what matters! He c an 't be like that to you anymore!"

"I know."

"Don't give me any excuses, you hear me? "

"Fine," she sighed. "I just wish that St arClan would just show me what I'm dest i ned to do, even if it's something lit t le ."

"They'll have something for you. Besides , in my eyes, you're the best warrior I ' ve seen in my entire life."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, most warriors would boast about their greatest fight or the best piece of prey that they caught. You're neither the best hunter nor the best fighter, b ut you respect that and try your best, e ven when the odds are against you. Sur e, you make mistakes, but so does every o ne ." Heatherpaw nuzzled her pelt.

"I'm glad someone knows that I'm a great warrior."

Heatherpaw purred. Shalestar padded up t o the two she-cats. "How are you two do i ng?"

"We're doing just fine," Heatherpaw repl ied.

"That's good." The gray she-cat forced a grin. "You won't mind if Eagleheart mee ts with me in my den?"

"No, you can speak with her as you pleas e," she mewed.

Eagleheart tilted her head to the side. "What's this all about?"

"I'll explain when we arrive in my cave, " Shalestar whispered. "I've got to go; I need to talk to Lionflight."

"Alright, I'll see you there."

Eagleheart's thoughts had drowned out al l of the sounds. Heatherpaw glanced at E agleheart and mewed, "I wonder what th at was all about..."

"Same here," she mewed as she snapped ba ck into reality.

Heatherpaw shrugged. "What now?"

"I don't know," she replied.

"You got to admit that the eagle was del icious!" Heatherpaw exclaimed.

Eagleheart grinned as she remembered the first time she took a bite into a juicy piece of a large ceremonial bird. The s oft flesh that nearly melted in her mou t h with every bite and the crunchin on es had flashed through her mind.

"Eagleheart!" Shalestar yowled from outs ide her den. Eagleheart shook the vapor s from her head.

Splashflight padded next to her. "It's t ime to go," he whispered.

She said her goodbyes and followed the d eputy slowly behind him up to a rocky l e dge near the Great Rock Pile. Each st e p was iffy because no one knew which r oc k could slip from under their paws. T hey s lowly made their way up to the lea der 's cave. A guard narrowed her ey es a t Ea gle heart.

"It's ok, Nightbrair," Splashflight assu red the guard. "Shalestar wants to meet with her and Lionflight."

"About what?" the black she-cat scoffed. 

Splashflight ignored her question. They padded into the cave. It was darker than Eagleheart was used to. Her eyes could barely adjust. The cave went back for ab out five more tail-lengths before she c o uldn't see any farther. They kept goi n g. Her paws felt the cold surface bel o w an d how damp it was compared to he r o ld ca ve.

It hadn't been long until Splashflight, along with another one of the guards fol lowing them, came to a halt. By then he r eyesight had fully adjusted. There we r e five other warriors near the back w a ll of the cave. Shalestar, whom she r e co gn i zed after a brief second of aw e, sa t t he second cat to the left in l in e an d Li on flight was fourth in lin e. The o ther thr ee cats looked dark an d g loomy. She had seen most of them aro und, but n ever real ly took the chance to r emember thei r nam es.

"I know that you two are wondering why y ou're here," another voice spoke. The o w ner of the voice swiftly padded past t he m and stood and took its place nex he first cat in the line of warriors . " I am Goldenpetal, if you must know."

Eagleheart swallowed at the sound of the old dark cream she-cat's voice. The cav e seemed to make their meows echo, whic h made them sound very uncanny. She nod d e d, not knowing what to say. Lionfli g ht h ad done the same.

"I can tell you one thing," she rasped. "It's the most important thing you'll ev er hear, and probably will be the only t ime that you get the privilege to spea k with our dear leader one-on-one."

"That's enough, Goldenpetal," Shalestar mewed calmly. "You may leave. And that g oes for all of you, even you, Splashfli g ht. Get out!"

Both Eagleheart and Lionflight were surp rised by Shalestar's mood change. They' v e never seen her so grumpy. It mus ro m all of the stress, Eagleheart de c id e d. They waited patiently as the si x w a rr iors formed a single filed line a n d padd ed out of the leader's cave. The e erie s ilence dragged on as no one da re d to mak e a sound.

"Oh, Goldenpetal, you're a wonderful war rior," the leader sighed as she spoke i n to the chilled air. "But sometimes yo u j ust have to let things be. Anyways… " She stood up and motioned them wit ic k of her tail. "She may be a fool at t i m e s, but she's right about one thin g: t his meeting is important, but it may be one of the rarest times you shall ev er have ."

The two warriors blinked. What exactly d id she mean?

"You two are wondering what I mean by th at, I presume." She circled around the t wo female warriors from where they sat . Her pale gray fur brushed against the i rs . Her strong muscular build was as ha rd as the rock below them. One would hav e n ever noticed from a distance be c ause of her lean body size. "What I'm go ing to t ell you is a tradition held by ever y Cla n in the Salty Lake regio n an d has been legendary from the time t hat Swift wing, Blazefur, Frostfeather , Heat herstr ike, a nd our own Stonetai l left the cle ar lake where the Twolegs w ould live in the two leg dens for onl y g reenl eaf. And the mos t legendary j ourn ey to the lake from the ir old home in t he "Ol d Forest " where th ey live d befo re, man y eons ag o.

"Ever since then it has been noted that warriors that get their warrior name, ha ve to take a silent vigil for the night . We don't teach this code, until appre n t ices are ready to learn it. We soug h t gu idance through StarClan and they ha ve gi ven us the approval that we sh a ll ke e secret until the apprentice is r ea serve that duty. It was practiced ev e r since we arrived here at the Salt y La ke.

"When you leave this cave, you will spea k no word of this to any of the kits or apprentices of this Clan, nor any other clan. StarClan will watch over you. The only times you shall speak during this t ime of silence is only when there's a de ep emergency of say a raid on the cam p." She glanced at them. They were sile n t, staring at the wall ahead while sh e h ad circled them. She halted in fron t of the m, with only her side facing th e m . H er h ead snapped in their direct io n. "Yo u wil l not speak a word of th is to the other apprentices, am I clear? "

No response.

"Am I clear?" she hissed.

They jolted back into reality. "Ma'am, y es, ma'am!" they yowled.

"Then you shall leave," the StoneClan le ader commanded. "You shall know when yo u r vigil of silence is over when yo th e dawn patrol arrive back from the ir r outine."

With that, they stood back up and exited the cave.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Disclaimer:**__ The Clan cats were donated by Wolfgrowl and xFallenSkyx. __I give every right to the names that they helped me with. Each chapter I will post an allegiance of the Clan that is being told in its Point Of View; it will be posted on my profile. The original five clans are also owned by Erin, but I have chosen new names for them. All of Erin's cats are dead and have faded from StarClan man eons ago. _

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**Chapter two**

Blizzardfeather lay in the warrior's area, his white pelt warm from the soft mixture of moss and pine needles. His chin rested on his front two paws. He breathed a sigh as he gazed across the camp to the pure white she-cat in the elder's area. The she-cat returned his soft, lonesome stare with her beautiful blue eyes.

"Hey, Blizzardfeather," a voice mewed.

The white tom bristled and his dark green eyes slid up to his clan-mate. He gazed at the mottled brown tom. "What do you want, Nettlefang?" he mewed with a grunt.

"Oh," the brown tom purred. "Did I wake you?" His amber eyes glinted in the sunlight.

"No," Blizzardfeather scoffed. "I'm awake. Actually, I've been awake."

"Couldn't sleep?"

"Nope. Not since I was a young kit."

"I see," a second voice mewed.

Blizzardfeather lifted his head from his paws and turned to another male voice. The second cat was quite small. His fur was a dark smoky gray with many white splashes on his back, and white toes, muzzle, and tail tip. His blind icy blue eyes swept from Blizzardfeather to Nettlefang.

Nettlefang chuckled. The compacted warrior flicked his tail. The brown tom froze and made a low growl. He stood up and padded to the center of camp.

"I hope you're not here to give my sympathy or empathy, Littleclaw."

"Don't worry," the small warrior mewed. "I wasn't planning on it."

"So, what's up?"

"Tigerfoot noticed that you were moping around all day."

"Great, StarClan! Did he send you to have me speak with him?"

Littleclaw just stared at the white tom with no noticeable expression upon his face. "He said that you, Hareleap, Fawnflight, and Duststorm are going to head out with Stoneleap on a border patrol. You will head out whenever he gets back from the hunting patrol."

"Why didn't he send you to lead?"

"Does it look like I'm fit to travel to FrostClan's border?" he paused. "Don't answer that," he snapped.

"Right. Well, do you have any idea when they'll return?"

"Does it look like I can read that big oaf's mind? He takes his sweet time hunting. He perfects every little detail. If StarClan would allow it, he would probably try to make us all pure breeds." Littleclaw sighed. "Stoneleap, you are really a big oaf." He uttered underneath his breath.

Blizzardfeather sighed. Stoneleap, a large gray tom, returned with two plump rabbits dangling by their necks. Turtlepaw, a small mottled brown tom, padded with his mentor, Patchwhisker, at his side, back to the camp. Both held their prey in their strong jaws and their eyes glinted with pride. Turtlepaw strolled to the middle of camp and dropped his plump mouse in the fresh-kill pile. Each step he took, he made an effort to broaden his shoulders. Gorsepelt was the last to return.

Turtlepaw bounded over to a light gray she-cat, sitting outside the warrior's area.

"Mother!" the tom yowled as he raced over. "I did it! I caught my first piece of prey!"

"That's wonderful!" Duststorm purred.

"Hey, Duststorm, Blizzardfeather," Stoneleap called from the fresh-kill pile. "After you two have eaten, meet me outside the leader's area. Tigerfoot wants you me, and Fawnflight to patrol FrostClan's border."

"Yes, sir." Duststorm mewed. "I have to go soon, Turtlepaw."

"Aw," Turtlepaw moaned. "Okay, keep us safe, mother!"

The gray she-cat laughed. "I will."

Turtlepaw's green eyes gazed over at Blizzardfeather. "Hey! Do you want a mouse? I can bring you one!"

Blizzardfeather purred. "Sure, but I'm not that old, you know."

"I know! I just thought it would be nice, is all."

"That's very kind of you."

Blizzardfeather watched as Turtlepaw raced over to the fresh-kill pile. He laughed and gently padded to where Duststorm was sitting.

"What are you laughing about, you silly-fur ball?" she mewed when she noticed that his gaze was still fixed upon the young apprentice.

"I was just thinking," he replied.

"About what?"

"You're still as inquisitive as when we were his age."

"And is that a bad thing?"

"Hm," he grunted. "We'll see."

The gray she-cat grunted as well. Turtlepaw returned with a rather large rabbit in his mouth. He dropped it between the two warriors' feet. Blizzard feather smiled. He glanced at Duststorm. "Would you like to share this with me?"

"Oh," she gave a nervous look. "Well, um..." she glanced around. "Sure, if you don't mind."

Blizzardfeather plunged into the rabbit. He tore off a hind leg as Duststorm bit into the rabbit's side.

"Your kits are all grown up now," Blizzardfeather mewed with a piece of rabbit still in his mouth.

"They are getting quite big, especially Turtlepaw."

"Yeah."

"What's wrong?" she mewed in a questioning voice.

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, come on. I know that 'yeah' like I know your scent," she scoffed. "There's something wrong and I want to know what."

"It's… complicated."

"Complicated!" Duststorm hissed. "Knowing which herb is which is complicated! This shouldn't be that complicated!"

"Fine, if you want to know," Blizzardfeather scowled. "It's about my mother."

"What about her?"

"You of all cats should know!"

"Blizzardfeather, it's been many moons since you and your sister were born. Get over it! Your mother is dead!"

"I know that!" he yowled. "It's just…" he backed off, not knowing what else there was to say about it. "Arg!" They ate the rest of the rabbit in silence. Blizzardfeather stood up as Duststorm was finishing up the last of the rabbit.

They padded over to where Stoneleap was sitting. As soon as they arrived, Fawnleap, a light brown tabby she-cat, was just plodding up to them. Her yellow eyes glimmered in the sunlight.

"Hey," the light brown tabby she-cat mewed.

"Good evening, Fawnflight," the broad shouldered gray tom mewed in reply. "I'm glad you three made it."

"Tigertail just told me a bit ago," she mewed. "Where are we going?"

"Border patrol," Blizzardfeather mewed.

"Over at FrostClan's border," the light gray she-cat added.

"Great," Fawnflight muttered. "Tigertail told these two and not me."

"Hey, I was the one who told them," Stoneleap cut in.

"Not really," Blizzardfeather muttered.

"What was that?" Stoneleap asked.

"Nothing," he sighed.

"Good, then, let's get going," the gray tom announced. "Since we're all here, that is."

The band of four warriors started making their way to the east. They hadn't gone far when a small ball of faded orange fur suddenly rolled into them. The ball of fur moved and took the shape of a young she-kit, no older than three or four moons old. The four warriors halted.

"I'm sorry," the orange she-kit moaned.

Stoneleap dipped his head and looked at her at eye level. "I know you are, Poppykit, and I forgive you."

Two more kits rushed to the scene.

"Poppykit, are you alright?" a calico she-kit shouted from a lengthy distance across the camp.

"Yeah, I'm fine, Dusk-kit."

"Woah!" a pure black tom gasped. "Are you four going on a patrol?" Fawnflight nodded. He continued. "Can I come?"

"If Dark-kit gets to go, then can I come too?" Dusk-kit moaned.

"Me too," Poppykit squeaked. "I want to go too!"

"Not yet you three," a voice mewed from the nursery. Blizzardfeather gazed over at the pale gray she-cat. "You three will have to wait until you're apprentices."

"But that's three moons away!" the two she-kits whined.

"Not for me!" the black tom mewed with pride. "I only have one more moon to go."

"That still doesn't change the fact that you're going to have to wait to become an apprentice," the gray she-cat mewed. "Now, come back here and let these fine warriors go where they need to go."

"Aw!" the kits groaned.

"Good luck on your patrol," the queen mewed. "And may StarClan light your paths."

Blizzardfeather nodded along with everyone else in his patrol. The four warriors turned their attention back to the matter at hand. With that, the four warriors set off out of camp once more.

The clearing was soft as they marched through the grassy planes. A gusty wind came over from the southwest. The grass quickly became alive with lively greens and gaining height as they approached FrostClan's borders. A swift running river swept through a low crevasse between the two territories. Pine trees were scattered along the two sides of the river.

The patrol gazed along the border. Fawnflight raised her head and smelled the cold, crispy, air. "It seems like there's nothing wrong," she mewed in an overwhelming joyful voice.

Blizzardfeather glanced to the right at Lunar Island. A thick vast of mist covered most of the view, but a few trees could be seen poking out from the mysterious island. A massive wooden bridge had shown to be the only dry way to reach the island.

"Come on, you dope!" Duststorm called to him. "The others are waiting!"

"I'm coming!" he hollered and bounded after his patrol.

Stoneleap tested the air. "Wait," he rasped as he halted. Blizzardfeather plowed straight into him.

"Sorry," his mew was muffled by Stoneleap's thick gray fur. Stoneleap didn't seem to take any notice.

"Did any one of you hear that?"

Duststorm's ears perked. "I hear it alright, but what is it?"

"Look!" Fawnflight mewed, her tail flicked over a little yonder to where two small cats were dunking their heads into a patch of heather, next to a large pine tree. The white she-cat lifted her head, her green eyes shown fear. Her tail flicked on the brown tom, whom still had his head in the brush. Soon, he too, lifted his head. Both FrostClan cats darted, their mouths full of catmint.

"Come here you little…" Duststorm yowled as she rushed after the white she-cat, white Blizzardfeather and Fawnflight chased after the tom. Before the tom could jump into the river, Fawnflight veered in front of him, blocking his way.

"Where do you think you're going, you little varmint?" Fawnflight hissed. The little brown tom whirled around to see the giant white warrior glaring at him. His brown fur bristled as he began to arch his back. A low growl formed deep in his throat.

"For a FrostClan apprentice, you are quite stupid. Didn't your mentor ever teach you about the importance of borders or did you just happen to forget?" Blizzardfeather growled.

"You're coming with us," Fawnflight mewed. With that being said, she scooped up the brown apprentice with her strong jaws and padded back to where they were to begin with. They fallowed Duststorm's scent trail and soon saw her pinning down the white she-cat.

"Glad you two could make it," the gray she-cat rasped, her breath lingering over the young she-cat. "We were just about to interrogate this little one."

"Who are you?" Duststorm mewed as she leaned her head towards the small white apprentice. "And why are you on our territory?"

The white she-cat squirmed, but couldn't break free.

"Answer me!" the light gray she-cat hissed and snapped her jaws at the she-cat.

"Fine, but don't hurt me!" the white she-cat wailed. "I'm Gullpaw and I'm here with Fishpaw to collect catmint."

"Can't you get that on your own side of the river?" Duststorm hissed once again.

"We can't!" Gullpaw yowled. "More won't grow back until next green-leaf!"

"What are you four doing with our apprentices?" a gray she-cat hissed. A brown and white tom appeared behind her. Their fur bristled.

"Well, if it isn't Hollythorn and Doveclaw?" Stoneleap mewed. "Long time no see."

"Not long enough," Hollythorn, the brown and white tom, snorted.

"I thought you two tought these apprentices to know better than to cross the clan's boarder."

The two warriors just glared at the patrol.

"Ah well, we would have let them off the hook if the border would have been dry land, but since it's a river I would think the best if we assume that they intentionally crossed the border?" Fawnflight mewed. "I didn't know that you two were so into teaching the apprentices on how to steel from other clans."

"Why don't you let our apprentices go and we'll be on our way," Doveclaw mewed.

"Sure," Stoneleap mewed. "Just as long as they leave the catmint here."

"But they can't!" a small brown tabby tom squeezed between the two warriors.

Hollythorn wheeled around and glared at the young cat. "If you want the catmint over there, Littlekit," the tom snapped. "You can go right ahead and swim over there and get it yourself!"

The brown tabby tom shuttered. "No, don't make me swim! I'll drown!"

"Then shut up and tell Stormwhisker and Kelp-paw that the catmint is a no go." He growled. The small warrior whimpered. "Why are you still standing there? Go!" the tom hissed. "Great, StarClan! That cat is really stupid," he muttered. "I guess they'll have to do without it."

Smallkit turned around and sprinted back where he came from.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Disclaimer:**__ The Clan cats were donated by Wolfgrowl and xFallenSkyx. __I give every right to the names that they helped me with. Each chapter I will post an allegiance of the Clan that is being told in its Point Of View; it will be posted on my profile. The original five clans are also owned by Erin, but I have chosen new names for them. All of Erin's cats are dead and have faded from StarClan man eons ago._

* * *

**Chapter three**

The shapes of four cats could be seen in the faintly lighted den. The smell of sickness tainted the air, making it hard for both to breathe and hold back from gagging. The limp body of a dark, smoky, blue-gray tom was lying against the cool surface. A pale gray she-cat paced nervously around the den, her eyes wide as the moon in worry for her sickly mate. A light blue-gray and white she-cat sat calmly toward the back of her den. Despite her normal looking posture, worry could be seen, tinting in her lime-green eyes.

"Kelp-paw, pass me some catmint!" the medicine cat, Stormwhisker's, mew was urgent. His patient's temperature was unsteadily rising. The ill tom was panting heavily, sweat soaking his pads. Kelp-paw, the brown tom, laid the herbs beside Stormwhisker. "Thank you," he mewed as he nudged the herbs to the sickly tom.

"We're running out of catmint," Kelp-paw mewed with worry.

"No worries, Kelp-paw," Seastar, the light blue-gray, female leader mewed. "I have already sent Fishpaw and Gullpaw, along with their mentors, to collect more."

"Thanks," Kelp-paw mewed with a little more ease. "But do they know what it looks like?"

"I already got that under control," Stormwhisker mewed. "I sent Littep– " his voice broke off hastily, trying to correct himself. "Littlekit with them."

"That's a relief," Kelp-paw sighed.

The blue-gray tom parted his jaws to weakly take a bite when a cough took over him. His body convulsed painfully as a lump formed in his throat. With an earsplitting yowl, the tom gagged, sending a pile of blood pouring onto the den floor. The cats stared in shock as the tom roughly coughed again before going silent once more. His body trembled uncontrollably against the ground, but he made no sound.

"Sharktail!" the pacing she-cat wailed mournfully as her mate, again, broke into a coughing fit. She attempted to rush over to her mate, only to be stopped by Seastar.

Her were dull with sadness, "Cavecurrent, there isn't anything we can do, but watch. If you get to close to him, you'll risk catching this disease as well," Seastar murmured.

A small brown tom burst into the cave. All five cats, even Sharktail, turned their attention to the young tom. "Ah," Stormwhisker mewed. "Littlekit, you're back. Are Doveclaw, Hollythorn, Gullpaw, and Fishpaw coming with the catmint I wanted them to fetch?"

"No."

"What? Why?"

"There was no more to be found on our territory, so Fishpaw and Gullpaw crossed the border into LunarClan's territory. Unfortunately, a patrol spotted them," Littlekit mewed.

"Do they need help?" Seastar asked with fear in her voice. "Should I send a patrol out to help fight? What are they demanding for the trade?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing?" the female leader mewed, unsure of what was going on. "What do you mean?"

"They let them go, but only with a catch."

"What's the catch?"

"That they leave the catmint behind," Littlekit replied.

"Surely, you jest!" Cavecurrent exclaimed. "We need it to save Sharktail!"

"Surely, I don't," Littlekit mewed. "They said that it was either we leave the catmint or watch our only two apprentices die."

"That's outrageous!" Cavecurrent hissed. The fur on her back began to bristle.

"Calm down, Cavecurrent!" Seastar ordered.

"I guess that we'll have to do without it," Stormwhisker sighed.

"I hope StarClan can prevent another case of gre-green-cough," Kelp-paw muttered.

The two medicine cats tried to get Sharktail to eat the herbs with no avail. Every time the deputy would get close to biting a bit of the herb, he went into a coughing fit. All the cats watched in vacant silence, pained by the fact that they couldn't assist the ill tom. Never in their lives have they seen such a thing. Could no herbs cure it?

"Cavecurrent – I love you…" Sharktail's voice was hoarse and barely auditable. His voice shook as he managed to glance at the pale gray she-cat. His body appeared so frail. It was as if moons of aging had been set upon him in only a short time. His body jerked suddenly again as his jaws opened wide, expelling an even larger amount of blood that soaked into his ragged fur. A black tinge seemed to shine in the spread of crimson. At first glance, it would seem as if a battle had been fought, many cats dying at the claws of others.

With one last violet twitch, the deputy went still. The light vanished from his pained eyes. The deputy – no, the former deputy was dead.

Cavecurrent wailed and raced to her dead mate's side. Tears flooded from her eyes as she muzzled Starktail's cold, limber body.

"StarClan, why did he have to go? Why did you make him leave my side?" Her yowl echoed in the silent cave. "I never was able to tell him the great news!"

Kelp-paw backed away. His fur pressed against the frozen wall. This couldn't be happening! Not again! He slunk to the cave entrance where he watched Seastar and Stormwhisker drag the corpse from the Medicine Cat's den to the middle of the camp. Some elders appeared at the sight of the deputy's corpse. One-by-one, the entire clan took their time to mourn for the young deputy. He whisked around and settled back into the cave.

Only faint light from the moon escaped into the dim den. A gentle breeze blew, creating a hushed whistling against the stone ground. Inside the den, the sound of shuffling paws could be heard. A pair of green eyes shone, standing out greatly in contrast to the darkness. They seemed to portray a mixture of both grief and determination.

The young, brown tom glanced around the edge of the den in search of a certain herb. Upon spotting a few small, black seeds, he placed a paw on them. In one quick movement, the seeds were sent straight onto a fairly large beech leaf. They tumbled neatly to the center of the leaf, settling down near each other.

"Kelp-paw," the brown tabby whipped around to see an elderly gray tom. His milky yellow eyes traveled down, pausing to observe the seeds. "No herb can cure a broken heart. She will heal in time."

"I know that. I just can't sit around and do nothing, though. I understand they won't cure her, but they might at least help her," Kelp-paw's green gaze locked onto the yellow one of his mentor. Without waiting for another reply from the aging tom, the brown tabby snatched up the leaf in his jaws. He hurriedly padded out of the den and into the clearing. He made his way quickly to the den that served as his leaders.

"Seastar," Kelp-paw halted for a moment as he attempted to peer past the lichen that hung down the entrance, obscuring his view. "May I come in?" A gust of wind and soon silence were his only replies. Heaving a sigh, he cautiously entered.

The brown tabby tom glanced down at the light gray she-cat. She was sprawled out on the dusty floor. Her eye lids were barely parted, revealing a pair of glazed over, lime green eyes. The small, dark pupils of her eyes slowly trailed to the corner seeming to try to see who had come in. She, however, made no attempt to move a muscle. Her body was as limp as, well, a dead one would be.

"Seastar...?" the young brown tom inquired, his voice holding a worried tone now. The leader lifted her head sluggishly. Her dull eyes blinked in what appeared to be confusion before realization seemed to hi her. Her front paws pushed her into sitting position. Her frame seemed so frail as if she had taken on moons of aging in only the short, few days that had passed.

"Oh? Kelp-paw? What- is it?" Seastar asked, narrowing her eyes slightly. She watched as the younger cat nudged forward three black seeds. He nodded to her in an unspoken command, but she didn't obey. She simply stared at them with a blank expression.

The dazed she-cat gaped off into the distance. "He was a good cat," the gray cat rasped in an almost toneless voice. "No, he was a great cat. You know, he was always there. He always knew what to do."

"What, you mean Sharktail? Yes, Seastar, he was the best deputy a Clan could ask for. We must go on, though. Sharktail could never be replaced, but any other warrior is just as fine. We need you to be strong. You're leader of this Clan, after all," came Kelp-paw's gentle reply. It was clear that Seastar was still grieving.

The light gray leader's head snapped upwards. Her ears pricked forward, and her green eyes widened. "Creekstar," She murmured in such an undertone, Kelp-paw had to angle his ears straight forward to catch it. "He was a great cat too. Oh, do you remember him? Of course not, he was around before you were kitted. Oh, how much I miss him too. Sharktail and I; we both admired him- wanted to be like him. I was so proud to be his deputy. Such a gentle and sensible cat he was. He was a great warrior, even in his death," Her eyes acquired a remote look as she reminisced on some memories.

The brown tabby stayed silent, allowing the she-cat to share her thoughts with him. He stared at her, listening intently. His fur, which had pricked with unease when he had first, came into the den, now relaxed. "Tell me about him."

The leader sighed as she stared in a daze as if the memories had flooded her mind. "It's to my knowledge, that you fear his death too."

"S-so?" Kelp-paw stammered. The tom was too confused to know what was even going on. "I'm surrounded by death every day."

"Let me ask you something," the gray she-cat mewed.

"Um, okay," the tom swallowed wondering what his leader was going to ask.

"Are you happy with being a medicine cat?"

"How could you ask such a thing?" The tom gasped, his jaw agape in disbelief. "I love the life of a medicine cat!"

"Your voice tells me one thing, but your eyes tell me anther," Seastar muttered.

"Are you going to tell me the story or not?"

"Let me say this first, and then I'll start," She mewed. "Why become a medicine when you're scared of death? You just told me that you are surrounded by death all day."

* * *

A young, slender, light gray she-cat poked her head out of a den before entering the clearing that served as the camp to her Clan, FrostClan. Her white muzzle pointed downwards as she arched her back in a stretch, and her claws flexed as her legs extended outwards. Rays of the sun, which hung high in the sky, shone down on her, warming her. With a small flick of her long tail, she padded toward the center of her home.

The late, Leafbare frost clung to the blades of grass. As her thick fur brushed over them, they quickly dissolved, soaking into the marshy grass. The she-cat scooped up a good-sized fish that laid among a few other prey items before heading toward another, wide-spaced den. The muscles under her coat rippled, showing off her fit frame. Despite the hard, less prey filled days of Leafbare, which were only beginning to end, she had managed to stay strong and fairly well-fed. This was all with keeping up with her clan-duties and helping lead, of course.

"Creekstar, I've brought fresh-kill," the light gray she-cat mewed, while giving a respectful dip of her head. Her lime green eyes peered in the den that served as her leader's. Dappled sunlight and shade covered the den from where cracks in the rocks allowed light to pass through. She gingerly stepped in, sitting down and curling her tail around her paws neatly.

A tall, lanky, slim, but well-muscled, silver-blue tom stood up from inside. "Ah, Seablaze. Too old to get my own prey now, am I?" he questioned, settling down near the she-cat. He bent his head down, taking a bite of the fish, which the other cat had put down.

"Of c-course not!" Seablaze exclaimed, startled by how her leader could have thought that. When Creekstar let out a rusty purr of laugher, the she-cat relaxed. "You know, I just thought I'd help, since I wasn't busy doing anything anyway. A border patrol just left as well as a hunting one. It's been- strangely quiet, you know."

Creekstar flicked his thin tail across Seablaze's white muzzle. "You worry too much, Seablaze. It's Leafbare, after all, every creature suffers the shortages,"

"Perhaps you're right. LunarClan probably struggles more than us, not having rabbits to catch. But-"

"But if there ever was any threat to occur, we could take it on. Our cats are strong, and I still have some good fight left in me," the silver-blue leader assured.

Seablaze's lime green eyes narrowed. "Creekstar," she warned cautiously. "You're on your last life. The Clan needs you. If anything was to ever happen, I think it would be best that you just-"

"Nonsense!" Creekstar snorted. A defiant look flashed in his eyes as he faced his deputy. "Seablaze, I always fight with my Clan. I may have one life left, but that just makes me an equal now. All my warriors fight with one life. Why should I run?" his voice softened as he added, "Besides, I have you. You're a good cat."

The light gray she-cat's eyes traveled to the dusty den ground as she nodded in agreement. "You're right. But we won't worry about that right now, right? I mean, you still have some good fight in you?" her voice acquired a bit of desperation as she glanced at the leader who gave her a comforting purr.

* * *

The rain bore on endlessly, pounding against the ground and splattering into many small drops. Gathering in places between the blades of grass, the dripping water created into vast, dull pools. Dark gray clouds drifted overhead, blocking all of the rays of moonlight that attempted to slip past. The repetitive sound of raindrops merged with the thud of buffeting wind. Everything seemed gloomy and shady. The only source of light was the lightning that cracked through the sky, following after the boom of thunder.

The light gray she-cat sat in the warrior's den. The rock roof blocked most of the precipitation. Her white muzzle was pointed in the direction of the sky, and her lime green eyes were closed. She stayed silent, listening to the sounds around her.

"Hey, Seablaze!" the gray she-cats head snapped over to a dark, smoky, blue-gray tom. It was Sharktail, her best friend since the two had been kits. Her only reply was a grunt. "What? Now that you're deputy you're too "cool" to hang out with me?" Although his tone seemed serious, a playful twinkle could be seen in his yellow eyes.

Seablaze hopped to her paws and whipped around, throwing herself at the tom. In a quick movement, she had him pinned to the drenched ground. "Of course not," she purred, giving him a smack on the face with her paw. "I was just... thinking."

"About?" Sharktail inquired while pushing the other cat off of him and sitting up. When she turned away from him, he persisted, "Tell me. I can see something is bothering you. Don't try to deny it now."

"It's just, Creekstar-" she started but was cut off abruptly by the tom.

Sharktail tilted his head before asking, "What about him? Is he hurt?"

"No, I'm just worried. He's getting older now... He won't take it easy and relax either. I just don't want anything to happen to him," Seablaze murmured, staring off as another bolt of lightning flashed through the darkness. Sharktail gave her a gentle nudge on the shoulder.

"Don't worry. Everything is going to be fine, okay?" Seablaze nodded her light gray head.

* * *

The light gray she-cat shifted around in her nest. A mixture of moss and feathers clung to her pelt. Her eyes remained shut, but her ears rotated around as if listening to something. Her claws extended, digging into both the ground and pieces of her bed. Suddenly, lime green eyes flashed open and glanced around frantically. Seablaze jolted to her paws, her fur sticking up in all angles and her breathing ragged.

A pungent scent hit her nose, causing her to gag. She raced out of the den being greeted by a roaring fire, just outside of the camp's entrance. "Fire!" she screeched, the fur along her spine bristling.

Clusters of cats flooded into the clearing. Their eyes were wide as moons with fear and surprise. Messily, they scattered, their minds set on finding a safe way out. The smoke from the scorching flames hung thickly in the air. Seablaze struggled to breathe, her lungs seeming to reject the oxygen they needed.

"This way!" a voice bellowed above the wailing of the desperate cats. Creekstar leaped out of his den, racing toward a space between two snow flecked pine trees. Without much thought, the cats followed. Their paws pounded furiously against the ground. Some carried the younger ones, who were slower and smaller, tightly between their jaws.

The flames continued to spread, surrounding the place they called home. Creekstar led the cats, only stopping when they had arrived at an area that was a good distance away. The Clan watched, their eyes reflecting the blaze. Queens sunk to the ground, wrapping their tails protectively other their young. One queen, however, glanced around frantically.

Her eyes wide, she yowled, "Waspkit! My kit. I can't find him!" The queen's fearful stare turned to the raging fire. "Oh, I have to go back!" she whipped around, breaking into a run, but she was stopped abruptly by Seablaze.

"You can't-" the light gray she-cat paused as a tall, silver-blue tom zoomed past her, heading straight in the direction that the queen had just tried to go. "Creekstar! Stop!"The long-legged tom didn't even look back.

"I will always fight for my Clan!" With that, he vanished from her view and into the smoke covered area.

Seablaze's lime green eyes trailed around the gathered cats. I'm deputy. I'm supposed to watch over them when Creekstar is gone. But I can't just stand around. I have to go after him! She pondered desperately.

Without another thought, she raced off. As she neared the scorching fire, ashes stung her eyes and smoke filled her lungs. She coughed and blinked her eyes rapidly in attempt to ease the pain, but it didn't help much. Suddenly, she spotted a lithe shape through the wall of fire. A flash of fur staggered through a parting in the flames. It was a cat, whose pelt was a sooty, dark gray, only revealing its true color of silver-blue in few places. A small bundle of fuzz was held in the cats jaws.

"Creekstar!" Seablaze screeched, rushing forward. A bolt of lightning sparked in the sky and struck a nearby pine tree. A few flickers of light and the tree was burning. A loud crack made the she-cat halt. The large pine tree swung and headed toward the ground where the leader was slowly struggling away from.

"Seablaze. You will lead the clan well. Take him, now!" he rasped loudly.

With his last bit of strength, Creekstar managed to haul the tiny kit into the air. Its wails soon turned into a fit of coughing. Seablaze jumped forward, snatching the kit's scruff in between her teeth. Crash. To Seablaze's horror, the tree was sent to the ground, landing on top of everything beneath it, including Creekstar.

* * *

The brown tabby stared intently at the light gray she-cat, "You're right. He was a great cat, and I believe you are one too. You've served FrostClan for many moons now. You can't give up now."

"I know, Kelp-paw. I won't. After all, I still have some good fight in me," Seastar purred. "What about you?"

"What do you mean?" the brown tom mewed nervously.

"Are you going to let death frighten you so much, that you would quite being a medicine cat?"

"No."

"That's the spirit!"

Silence filled the frosted air between them. Kelp-paw broke the silence between them, "So, who's going to be the next deputy?"

"I suppose I'll have to say it soon," She mewed. "it's about moon-high"


End file.
